It’s a terrible note to start camp for the D-backs and their fans. Carroll, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, is already a two-time All-Star and finished sixth in National League MVP voting last season after hitting .259/.343/.541 with 31 home runs, 32 doubles, 17 triples, 32 stolen bases (in 38 attempts), a 10.4% walk rate and a 23.8% strikeout rate in 642 trips to the plate. No player in baseball provided more baserunning value than Carroll in 2025, according to FanGraphs’ BsR metric, and he was 39% better than average at the plate as measured by wRC+.
The Diamondbacks have not yet provided a formal timeline for Carroll’s recovery and likely won’t do so until after his surgery. However, it is a relatively common injury – as both Jackson Holliday and Francisco Lindor can attest – and typically keeps players on the shelf for four to eight weeks. Hamate injuries (and hand injuries in general) tend to linger and affect a hitter’s ability, but every injury situation is different. Arizona should provide more details in the coming days.
With Carroll likely IL-bound, an already uncertain D-backs outfield mix now looks even murkier. Arizona acted Jake McCarthy to the Rockies after a few disappointing seasons earlier in the winter. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will open the season on the injured list as he continues to rehabilitate last season’s torn ACL. Top prospect Jordan Lawlar already moved from the infield to the outfield this season, but it now seems certain that the season will start there. Midfielder Alex Thomas is a fine defender, but he is now four seasons into his MLB career and his bat has yet to catch up to his former status as a top player. Infielder/outfielder Blow Alexander was traded to the Orioles last week.
Suffice it to say, the outfield options on Arizona’s roster are thin at best. Lawlar and Thomas are likely locked into starting roles by default. First baseman/designated hitter Pavin Smith has some experience in the outfield corners, but is rated as a poor defender. The recent signing of Carlos Santana was originally intended to give the left-swinging Smith a strong platoon partner at first base, but Santana was able to play first base while Smith temporarily patrolled an outfield corner.
Outfielder Jorge Barrosa is on the 40-man roster and out of minor league options, but he is a .148/.170/.239 hitter in 95 Major League plate appearances with a league-average track record at the Triple-A level. Infielder/outfielder The Tawa team hit 31 Triple-A home runs in 2024, but hit just .201/.274/.347 in 205 MLB at-bats this past season; he has spent much more time in the infield during his pro career, but has 1,519 innings of outfield experience.
If the D-backs are feeling particularly aggressive, they can move faster Ryan Waldschmidtthe No. 31 overall pick in 2024, to the major leagues. The 23-year-old has yet to play a game in Triple-A, but last season he torched opposing pitchers in both High-A and Double-A. In a combined 601 plate appearances (evenly split between the two levels), the University of Kentucky product slashed .289/.419/.473 with 18 homers, 27 doubles, four triples, 29 steals (39 attempts), a 16% walk rate and a 17.6% strikeout rate. Baseball America currently ranks Waldschmidt as the game’s No. 48 prospect.
Of course, it is also possible that the D-backs try to bring in help from outside the organization. As mentioned, it was already a relatively thin mix — at least in terms of established options — so even picking up a veteran on a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training might have been wise. Mike Tauchman, Mark Kanha and old friend Randal Grichuk are among the more notable unsigned names still on the market. Spring training obviously presents opportunities to pick up other veterans as they opt out of minor league deals and/or less experienced players who are designated for assignment as other clubs make the latest additions. The D-backs could pursue both markets as they look to add some depth in light of Carroll’s injury.
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